A few miles beyond Roslyn, near the Long Island Expressway, stands one of Long Island [1]’s most sumptuous mansions, now known as Old Westbury (71 Old Westbury Rd., Exit 39 S off the LIE, 516/333-0048, www.oldwestburygardens.org [2], 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wed.–Mon. May–Oct., no admission after 4:15 p.m., adults $10, seniors $8, children $5). Built in 1906 in a palatial Charles II style, this grand edifice was once home to John S. Phipps and his wife Margarita Grace, heirs to steel and shipping fortunes.
The mansion is magnificently furnished with 18th-century antiques, but it’s the 88 acres of formal gardens out front and back that draw the crowds. Considered to be the finest English gardens in the United States, Old Westbury’s grounds are filled with tree-lined walks, grand allées, ponds, statuary, architectural “follies,” and hundreds of species of plants, including historic varieties and new hybrids.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-city-long-island/long-island
[2] http://www.oldwestburygardens.org